Natural Selection and Adaptations and Variations

The picture below shows a giraffe eating leaves off of a tree. Which of the following characteristics would help individuals in a population of giraffe outlive the other giraffes?

• Having the longest necks

• Having the brightest fur

• Having the most spots

• Having the sharpest teeth

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Chameleons are reptiles that have the ability to hide from predators and prey by blending in with their environment. They can change the pattern and/or color of their skin.

This ability is known as —

• natural selection

• imitation

• mimicry

• camouflage

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Most organisms have coloration that helps them blend into their surroundings. Male peacocks have colorful, feathered tails.

These conspicuous tails are used for —

• building nests

• attracting mates

• flying and balance

• avoiding predators

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Students visiting a zoo see a poison dart frog. This bright red frog is about 2-centimeters long. It eats ants and other small insects. The poison dart frog secretes a poisonous chemical from its skin. It lives around green tropical plants.

What is the advantage of this frog having a bright red color in a green environment?

• It helps it to hide among plant leaves.

• It helps it to sneak up on small insects.

• It serves as a warning to hungry predators.

• It prevents overheating in a tropical climate.

Rabbits in most areas have a brown coat. The arctic hare has a bright white coat in winter. How does the arctic hare's white color help it survive?

• It makes the hare warmer during the summer.

• It helps the hare blend into its background.

• It makes the hare appear larger to predators.

• It helps the hare stay warm during the winter.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Over time, the food supply for birds on an isolated island has changed. The supply of insects, small tender seeds, and vegetation has shrunk. The supply of tough, large, hard seeds has remained unchanged. Over several generations, changes in genetic traits of birds' beaks have occurred. Which beak is most likely to improve the survival rate of the birds?

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The Galapagos Islands are home to a variety of finches. Charles Darwin observed the finches on the island and noticed that each species was well suited to the life it led. For example, finches that ate insects had sharp, slender beaks; finches that ate seeds had strong, wide beaks.

According to the above information and image, beak shape in these finches is an example of —

• adaptation

• simulation

• competition

• environmentalism

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Many people prefer breeds of dog that have specific traits. Recently there has been a surge in the business of selectively breeding dogs in order to produce those specific traits. Which of the following would most likely be a favorable trait that dog breeders try to produce?

• dogs with thin bones

• dogs that don't shed

• dogs with small eyes

• dogs with quiet barks

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Cattle have been kept by humans for many years. Which of these characteristics in cattle is most likely to have occurred because ranchers have used selective breeding?

• cattle that eat grass

• cattle that have parasites

• cattle that produce no horns

• cattle that are crossed with buffalo

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Scientists plan to use selective breeding to produce a new type of wheat for farmers who live in northern areas with short summer seasons.

Which of these traits would be MOST useful for these farmers?

• large seed size

• long stem length

• fast growth rate

• shallow root systems

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